Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0On FEMA’s figures, Hayti faces more hazard damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from earthquakes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hayti gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is earthquakes (70%), then river and rain flooding (11%). Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1999.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Hayti faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Earthquakes
River and rain flooding
Tornadoes
Ice storms
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Hayti’s grade
Earthquakes are 70% of the building damage FEMA expects in Hayti, and Hayti’s rate of earthquakes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 9%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D− higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Hayti’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $4.0M a year in losses across Hayti: $2.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Hayti flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1999
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hayti, from FEMA’s records: 4.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 57% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $2K
Hayti isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Pemiscot County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Hayti
Disasters that paid out in Hayti itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Hayti), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds and Flooding28 households applied for aid$13K aid approved
- 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding20 households applied for aid$17K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
- 2009Severe Winter Storm$235K to the City of Hayti for repairs
- 2006Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding89 households applied for aid$194K aid approved
Pemiscot County has had 21 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Hayti after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hayti archive →Hayti and its neighbors
Hayti has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hayti | D−more damage than 96% | earthquakes | 5 |
| Hayti Heights | — | 540 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Hayti faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
- Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
- Keep sand or salt by the door.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Hayti
Is Hayti at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hayti has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is earthquakes (70%) and river and rain flooding (11%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Hayti flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Hayti since 1999, $34K in all, or 4.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 57% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Mid-spring storms (1).
Is Hayti in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Pemiscot County, 4.7% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Hayti?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hayti’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Hayti?
By FEMA money that reached Hayti, Severe Winter Storm (2009): $235K to the City of Hayti for repairs. By flood claims, Mid-spring storms: 1 paid, $2K.
Is Hayti at risk from earthquakes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (70%), and Hayti’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hayti.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hayti’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.